Routes · South America
London to Chile's high desert: San Pedro de Atacama
London → San Pedro de Atacama
Salt flats, geysers and some of the clearest night skies on Earth Best season (general guide): Year-round (Mar–May, Sep–Nov best)
In northern Chile, San Pedro de Atacama is an adobe town in one of the driest deserts on Earth, ringed by volcanoes and salt flats. This route spends six nights there. From London you'll connect through Santiago to Calama, then drive about an hour and a half. San Pedro de Atacama is a town and commune in the Antofagasta Region, about 106 kilometres south-east of Calama, overlooking the Licancabur volcano.
How to pace it: Spend days one to six in San Pedro de Atacama: day one, drive from Calama; day two, Valle de la Luna at sunset; day three, El Tatio geysers at dawn; day four, Salar de Atacama flamingos; day five, Altiplano lagoons; day six, stargazing and rest.
San Pedro's R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum has a large collection of relics from the region. The Atacama is one of the driest places in the world, and some weather stations have recorded almost no rain. The Valle de la Luna, just west of the town, has salt-crusted ridges and dunes that turn red at sunset.
El Tatio, high in the Andes, is one of the largest geyser fields in the world, and is best seen at dawn. The Pukará de Quitor, a fortress on a hill above the oasis, dates from before the Inca period.
The Atacama Large Millimeter Array, one of the world's largest astronomy projects, stands on the plateau nearby. High-altitude lagoons such as Miscanti and Miñiques lie beneath volcanoes at over 4,000 metres. Practical notes: the desert can be visited all year, but nights are cold, so bring warm layers for the dawn trip to El Tatio. Ruins near the town draw growing numbers of visitors interested in pre-Columbian cultures.
The Licancabur volcano, on the border with Bolivia, has a crater lake near its summit. The Atacama's clear skies have made northern Chile a centre for observatories.
Safety: Canada advises a high degree of caution in Chile (advisory updated 8 Oct 2026), and the US rates Chile Level 2 (19 Aug 2026).
Suggested outline
London
San Pedro de Atacama
An adobe oasis town in the Atacama Desert.
Day by day
- Day 1 · San Pedro de Atacama — Arrive; drive from Calama· London → Calama (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Calama → San Pedro de Atacama (overland)
- Day 2 · San Pedro de Atacama — Valle de la Luna at sunset
- Day 3 · San Pedro de Atacama — El Tatio geysers at dawn
- Day 4 · San Pedro de Atacama — Salar de Atacama flamingos
- Day 5 · San Pedro de Atacama — Altiplano lagoons
- Day 6 · San Pedro de Atacama — Stargazing and rest
- Day 7 · San Pedro de Atacama — Travel home from San Pedro de Atacama· San Pedro de Atacama → Calama (overland), then Calama → London (by air)
A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.
Flights, leg by leg
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- London → San Pedro de Atacama (LON → CJC) · Check today's price Search fares LON → CJC · 3 Dec ↗
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San Pedro de Atacama
Nearest airport: Calama Search fares · Calama ↗
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